Biography

Lieutenant Colonel William L. T. McCarron was born in Kelty, Fife, Scotland on 21 March 1940. He and his family migrated to the United States in October 1948. Upon graduation from Frederick College, Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1964, McCarron enter the U.S. Army under the College Option Program. He completed Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and then reported to Fort Benning, Georgia, to attend Officer Candidate Class 10-64 and graduated as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry on 2 December 1964. Following completion of Airborne and Ranger Schools in 1965, he served at Fort Ord, California, as Executive Officer and Platoon Leader of an Advanced Individual Training Company. In 1966, he volunteered for duty in the Republic of Vietnam and was assigned to the 2nd Platoon, B Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.| In May, during Operation CRAZY HORSE the Company was engaged by a reinforced NVA battalion as the Company moved northeast through mountainous terrain about 20 miles east of the 1st Cavalry Division Base Camp at An Khe. The enemy had chosen a perfect place for an ambush and was firing on the Company with at least two 51- and five 30-caliber machine guns, as well as small arms and grenades from camouflaged bunkers and concealed positions. Successfully flanking and then attacking from above, McCarron was able to successfully attack and destroy a key enemy machine gun position. This action followed the remainder of his platoon to move on the bunkers below destroying them and alleviating the pressure on the two trapped platoons. The battle was a true Infantry battle. No artillery was available and no tactical air was called in. To have done so would have caused serious casualties among friendly forces who were in the open.

An initial count of the battle area revealed 55 enemy troops were killed. In the days following the battle, the Company discovered an unoccupied Battalion-size enemy base and additional graves as they made their way back to LZ Horse. Friendly casualties were 11 killed and 15 wounded. McCarron remained with B Company for the remainder of his tour and later served as the Executive Officer. He supported several other major actions during his tour with the 1st Cavalry Division, but mostly in a support role as Executive Officer.

Following this tour McCarron transferred to Fort Benning, was promoted to Captain, and served with the Ranger Department until his request for transfer to Military Intelligence was approved and he was reassigned and attended the Intelligence Officer Research Course and the Military Intelligence Advanced Course at Fort Holabird, Maryland. Graduating in 1969, he was reassigned to MACV where he served as an intelligence advisor in the Mekong Delta. His principal function was to advise his Vietnamese counterparts, mainly the National Police Field Force, on operations against the political arm of the National Liberation Front. Most operations were successful mainly due to his experience as an Infantry officer.

Returning from Vietnam, he was assigned as a Special Security Officer at the U.S. Armaments Command, Rock Island, Illinois, where he served five years, was promoted to Major, and then reassigned to HQs UNC/USFK/EUSA J2 as a strategic/tactical intelligence officer and Chief, Grown Order of Battle Section. This was during the time North Korean guards in the Joint Security Area of the DMZ was attacked and killed two U.S. Officers with axes. He monitored the situation and made recommendations to the CINC regarding NKA movements and possible targets should the situation worsen. Tensions were high for several weeks before returning to normal following the felling of the tree in the Joint Security area that was blocking the view of a critical allied guard post. Following his two year tour, he returned to CONUS to attend the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, and on successful completion was reassigned to the Intelligence Center Pacific, Hawaii, where he served as Chief, Korea Branch, and on promotion to Lieutenant Colonel became Chief, Korea and Japan Division.

In 1980, McCarron returned to Korea as the Chief Analyst, Intelligence Production Division, UNC/USFK/EUSA J2 responsible for all intelligence production by ground, air, naval, and political elements assigned to the J2. Returning to CONUS in 1981, he assumed duties as Chief, Plans and Programs Division, Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (HUMINT) at Fort Meade, Maryland, where he was instrumental in establishing and manning of a Document Exploitation Center in the Southern Command, the first in the Theater.

In 1986, he joined the Defense Intelligence Agency and assumed responsibility for developing and coordinating international agreements for the Department of Defense and the services with all major departments of the U.S. Government.

In 1988, McCarron retired from active duty to accept a position within DIA’s Exchanges and Disclosures Division where he played a major role in development and coordination of an automated system to exchange information with friendly foreign countries on a real-time basis. McCarron retired from DIA in 1999.

His individual awards and decorations include the Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, Defense Meritorious Service Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal w/Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Overseas Medal, Defense Intelligence Agency Superior Service Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Palm, and the Vietnamese Service Medal. Unit awards include Presidential Unit Citation (2 Awards), Meritorious Unit Award, and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/Palm. McCarron qualified for the Combat Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, and Airborne Wings. Back